Multiple semiconductor integrated circuits formed on a semiconductor wafer generally undergo an electrical test to determine whether or not they are manufactured in accordance with the specification before being separated into respective chips. In this electrical test, a probe assembly or an electrical connecting apparatus such as a probe card having a plurality of probes to be connected to electrodes of a device under test that is each semiconductor integrated circuit is used. The device under test is connected to a tester via the electrical connecting apparatus.
As an example of a conventional probe to be used for the electrical connecting apparatus of this kind, there is one having a plate-shaped needle main body portion or a probe main body portion and a needle tip portion or a probe tip portion provided at the probe main body portion and abutted on the electrode of the aforementioned device under test (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The probe main body portion has a foot portion as an attachment portion to a probe board, an arm portion extending from the lower portion of the foot portion in a horizontal or lateral direction along the probe board to be spaced to the lower side of the probe board, and a pedestal portion projecting downward from the tip end portion of the arm portion. The aforementioned probe tip portion is provided at the pedestal portion.
In Patent Document 1, the probe main body portion is made of a conductive material having higher resiliency than a material for the probe tip portion while the probe tip portion provided at the lower end of the pedestal portion of the probe main body portion is made of a conductive material having more excellent hardness than the material for the probe main body portion.
In the above probe, the probe main body portion especially the arm portion is made of the metal material with excellent resiliency. Therefore the probe tip portion of the probe can be slid on the electrode of the device under test along with elastic deformation of the arm portion when the probe tip portion is thrust to the electrode of the device under test. This slide of the probe tip causes an oxide film on the electrode to be scraped away. Accordingly, overdriving causing the aforementioned elastic deformation effected on the arm portion of the probe brings about removal of the oxide film on the electrode by the probe tip of the probe tip portion, which enables mutual reliable electrical contact. Moreover, forming this probe tip portion by a highly hard material restricts abrasion of the probe tip portion caused by the slide of the probe tip.
The plate-shaped probe of this kind is manufactured with use of a photolithography technique and a deposition technique such as an electroforming. Also, the probe main body portion is generally made of nickel or a nickel alloy (Ni.W, Ni.P, Ni.Fe, Ni.Mn, Ni.Co, or the like).
However, the nickel-made probe main body portion has good electrical characteristics (low electrical resistance) but poor (weak) mechanical characteristics (spring characteristics) and will be plastically deformed or broken by repeated contacts effecting overdriving. On the other hand, the nickel alloy has good mechanical characteristics but poor electrical characteristics and will be deformed due to Joule heat when high current flows therein.
Patent Document 2 proposes to manufacture a probe that keeps appropriate hardness, is difficult to be embrittled, and is well resistant to creep by annealing the probe main body portion made of a nickel-manganese alloy. However, such a nickel-manganese-alloy-made probe cannot have sufficient mechanical characteristics because the nickel-manganese-alloy-made probe is produced with a minute metal atom.
Patent Document 3 proposes to form at least an elastic deformation portion (spiral portion) of a spiral probe by a nickel alloy such as Ni.P or Ni.B and heat such a spiral probe at 200° C. to 300° C. to keep the elastic deformation portion in an amorphous state. However, the probe whose elastic deformation portion is made of a nickel alloy in an amorphous state has poor electrical characteristics and is not suitable as a contact probe to be supported on a board in a cantilevered manner.